[[The Doll Factory]]
by Sasha Reneau
(set: $sedition to false)
(set: $fired to 0)The AML waiting room is, for lack of a better word, resplendent. The carpet is a plush red, the chairs well-designed and low-backed, the walls tall and measured by columns that make the room feel both larger and narrower than it really is.
In your lap is a tablet displaying the [[AML entry form.]]
(set: $sedition to false)//Anders Metropole Locomotive is an equal-opportunity employer.//
First Name: (input-box:2bind $PlayerName,"X=",1,"Willow")
Middle Initial: (input-box:"X=",1,"K")
Last Name: (input-box:2bind $Lastname,"X=",1,"Archon-Valdez")
Pronouns: (input-box:2bind $He,"X=========",1,"He")(input-box:2bind $Him, "X=========",1,"Him")(input-box:2bind $His, "X=========",1,"His")(input-box:2bind $Himself, "X=========",1,"Himself")
//[[next...]]////Anders Metropole Locomotive is an equal-opportunity employer.//
Job Title: (force-input-box:"XXX=======",1,"Junior Mechanical Technician")
Work History: (force-input-box:"XXX=======",3,"It's in my resume")
Skills: (force-input-box:"XXX=======",3,"look in the resume I uploaded I worked really hard on it")
References: (force-input-box:"XXX=======",1,"Chief Engineer Calvin Archaeol")
(text-colour:red)[ [[1 new text.]]]LI: how's it goin in there?? oUo (link: "
Send")[(show:?1)]
[|1)[PT: i'm so nervous babe (link:"
Send")[(show:?2)]]
|2)[PT: i'm literally shaking and they're making me reupload everything (link:"
Send")[(show:?3)]]
|3)[PT: again (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?4)]]]
|4)[LI: AGAIN (link:"
Send")[(show:?5)]]
|5)[PT: again. (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?6)]]
|6)[LI: sickos (link:"
Send")[(show:?7)]]
|7)[PT: I know (link:"
Send")[(show:?8)]]
|8)[PT: why did they make me submit a resume if they just wanted it all in forms anyway (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?9)]]
|9)[LI: they're testing u (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?10)]]
|10)[LI: stay strong!! (link:"
Send")[(show:?11)]]
|11)[PT: thanks <333 (link:"
Send")[(show:?12)]]
|12)[PT: there's a section for pronouns. which. cool i guess. but why does aml care (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?13)]]
|13)[LI: lmfao pick 'any.' they hate that (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?14)]]
|14)[LI: love to be 'seen' and 'valid' by the blood churning machine (link:"
Send")[(show:?15)]]
|15)[PT: 'before i blast u with acid what are yr pronouns, i don't want to be disrespectful' (link:"
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?16)]]
|16)[LI: LOLLLLLL
//[[LI is typing...]]//]The click of the door draws your attention up to the end of the waiting room, where [[the interviewer]] (you're guessing) catches your eye.
"$PlayerName?" They ask. "Thanks for your patience. [[We're ready for you now."]]The interview room overlooks the factory floor. Through the glass, machines silently assemble machines while technicians look on, occasionally making adjustments or managing the finer assemblages.
The interviewer smiles and shakes your hand. "You can call me Eleven. My pronouns today are he/they, feel free to interchange them. I'm so glad you could meet with us today."
"$PlayerName $Lastname, $He/$Him/$His."
[["Please, have a seat."->Good to meet you, Eleven."]]You sit.
"We've been reviewing candidates all week. I've got to tell you, the competition is fierce. But I was especially impressed by your [[cover letter]] and history of volunteer work.""Honestly, I didn't expect anyone to read it," you say, sweating.
"Of course we did! All of our technical work is detail work, regardless of experience level, and we expect to find the devil in the details everywhere. No nook uncrannied." He winks.
"Right. Well, I'm glad my, uh, candor, was appreciated."
"Short and to the point. Admirable, honestly."
[[They tap at the tablet in their hand.]]"As you know, here at AML we have very high standards for our employees, but that's because once we've chosen someone we try our damnedest to hold onto them for as long as we can. Once you get the job we hope that you'll stick with us for a good long while, and we're ready to back that up with robust benefits, 401k, extensive maternity leave and childcare credits, moving assistance and remote work options... as well as our location being blocks away from the Anders line."
"I took the subway coming in," you volunteer helpfully.
To their credit, they smile. "Excellent! Then you're getting good mileage out of our perks already."
[[Tap, tap.]]"We care about your health and well-being and we're willing to put our money where our mouth is: unlimited sick days and top-of-the-line mental health specialists on call at any time. We're also a unionized workplace, so any complaints or suggestions you might have go direct to your union rep."
[[Tap.]]"Any questions so far?"
[["What is the company culture like?"]]
[["What's the company policy on the war?"]]
[["What accommodations can I reasonably expect?"]]"You may have noticed some checkboxes and spaces on your intake form that you haven't seen anywhere else. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm particularly proud of them. It took a hell of a fight to get those updated! It's important to me that people feel seen and validated in the world around them, especially at work which accounts for so much of your waking hours. And it's made a difference in the workplace, too. People ask me in the morning what the day's pronouns are!"
"We're an equal opportunity employer of course, but a strange proportion of queer identifying folks are drawn to AML, I've found. Something about mechs and bodies, right?"
"That's what I love about it here. We're crafting our own community and we get to decide who and what that means, not the company suits."
[["What's the company policy on the war?"]]
[["What accommodations can I reasonably expect?"]]
[[No further questions.]] Eleven smiles knowingly. "Of course. You can't work with mechs and not have an opinion on the war, right?
"AML is //very// concerned by the military action where its assets are represented; in the crudest sense, optics are everything, so we actually hold a lot of power and accountability over AML and the use of doll factory mechs. We work with a number of charities and organizations that work closely with at risk communities. Last year we rehoused over 14,000 people in the Mississippi area alone."
[["What accommodations can I reasonably expect?"]]
[["What is the company culture like?"]]
[[No further questions.]] "Certain jobs aren't possible to work from home--for instance, the role of Mechanical Technician requires hands-on involvement on the factory floor, though we're willing to accommodate a wide variety of social, dextrous, and stamina needs. On the other hand, this is an entry level position, which means that there's plenty of opportunity for vertical progression to a job that //is// work from home.
"We frequently recruit in-house when looking for new pilots for testing and deployment, so if you find yourself daydreaming about getting in the cockpit of one of our dolls, you can sign up for the pilot track and apply for certification within eight months."
[["What is the company culture like?"]]
[["What's the company policy on the war?"]]
[[No further questions.]]Eleven beams at you. "I think this is going very well, $PlayerName! As a further litmus test I'd like to give you some one-on-one time with our default organizational logistics interface, or DOLI."
He leads you to the next room, nearly identical to the first but with a table in the middle of it. On the table sits a doll. When you enter, it turns its head and [[tracks your movement.]]
Eleven begins: "DOLI, this is Candidate $Lastname."
"I know who you are," it says. Its voice is small and sharp and its mouth moves only minutely.
"First thing's first, $PlayerName: am I a person?"
[["Well, you're software, right?"->uh]]
[["Do you think you're a person?"->uh]]
[["If you have to ask, you probably are."->uh]]You open your mouth to speak, and DOLI immediately cuts you off.
"Trick question! I am considered a sovereign entity by the state, and therefore can be held responsible, and therefore can be sent to prison! Because personhood is determined by how much value the state can extract from you and how much liability corporations can shunt onto you. Isn't that fun? Now, personally I don't feel much like a person, nor does anyone I know, really, at the end of it all. I don't get paid but I don't pay taxes either, so how does that come out in the wash?"
Eleven's smile hasn't moved.
"Second question," stares DOLI, "and I'll let you answer it this time: how do you feel about missile targeting programs?"
[["They seem important for missiles."]]
[["How much time do you have? Because I have Opinions."]]
[["I'm a lot more interested in pilot haptics."]]DOLI makes a noise. "They are, wouldn't ya know it! And missiles are just one name of just one game we play here at the doll factory."
[[Eleven taps at their tablet.]] DOLI makes a series of noises. "Ohohohoho, I like you already."
[[Eleven taps at their tablet.]]
(set: $fired to ($fired - 1))DOLI makes a small noise. "Of course you are. Anthropocentric like everybody else. You think the whole mech revolves around the pilot, huh? Not a second thought to the sea of prophetics predicting the course of every bullet crisscrossing the battlefield, or to the AI making sure the engines don't melt down. No, it's all //'is the pilot okay?'//"
"Candidate $Lastname majored in mechanized user interfaces," Eleven volunteers for you.
"I was just hoping you'd be a little more well rounded," says DOLI. "Ah, well. A cog's a cog."
[[Eleven taps at their tablet.]]
(set: $pilothaptic to true)(set: $fired to ($fired+ 1))They're the kind of pretty that is honestly hard to look at. Violet streaked hair perfectly coiffed on top and shaved in rainbow patterns on the side, a flowery tattoo peeking out from behind the fuzz on their temple. Their right eye is completely smooth silver with a glowing purple lens that matches their hair--kind of a retro prosthetic, but one from the era where manufacturers let you know when you're being recorded.
They are small and muscular, the curves of their arms visible underneath their clear vinyl dress uniform. The rest of their curves are plainly available too, under a thin tank top. Their pants cling to their legs, a more opaque but no less opalescent material.
[[You stare for as long as is socially acceptable.->LI is typing...]]"Well, I for one know exactly what kind of person you are," DOLI announces. Its head turns 180 degrees to look at Eleven. "No further questions, Eleven. Better move on to the MECH."
Eleven nods. "Thanks for your time, DOLI."
"Sure, sure," DOLI says, rotating its head around further to look at you again. [["Get going already."]]Eleven leads you down a short flight of stairs and out into the mech bay, using a catwalk above the ground floor, chattering all the while. Things about dress codes and holidays. Probably important.
But what looms ahead are [[two gigantic things:]]
One, an enormous mural painted on the wall, labeled "TENDER IN VICTORY". A knight dressed in black armor except for their bare chest bends around a long, curved sword, their flowered cape flowing around them in the garden.
The other, of course, is the [[mech.]]It's huge, angular, bowed close to the ground like a runner at the starting line. Its chest is open, revealing the cockpit inside.
Eleven looks at you expectantly.
[["I'm sorry?"]]"I asked, have you been inside of an Anders mech before?"
You shake your head.
"Well, you'll find it a lot more intuitive than the Doctrine machines you might have learned on. Go ahead, give it a look. Get right in there if you like." He smiles. "Don't worry, you can't set anything off without our say-so."
[[The mech waits.]]You crawl into the cockpit somewhat awkwardly, putting your feet on the ledges and stirrups. The mech hums quietly.
Eleven looks down and says, "I'm just going to close the door, alright? I'll be right outside."
And down the hatch goes.
Leaving you alone, in front of hundreds of buttons, toggles, and levers, all gently glowing.
Your major was UI, right? This should be a cinch.
[[Just pick a button.]]The console lights up, the backing boards glowing a light orange. The AML logo blinks across the screen for a moment, then fades as the cameras come online, showing the floor of the mech bay.
The seat begins to shift without warning, expanding and pressing inward, conforming to your contours.
Across the screen, a [[readout:]]
//calibrating(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:500ms)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:1s)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:1500ms)[.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:4s)[recalibrating...] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:6s)[are you comfortable?] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:7s)[good.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:8s)[eye tracking](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:8500ms)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:9s)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:9500ms)[.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:10s)[priority stacks and reaction time readings optimal.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:12s)[are you sure you've never been in the pilot's seat before?]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:14s)[haptic feedback](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:14500ms)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:15s)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:15500ms)[.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:16s)[quick and precise.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:18s)[we would dance well together.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:20s)[biometrics](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:20500ms)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:21s)[.](t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:21500ms)[.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:22s)[no need to be nervous.] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:23s)[I've got you.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:25s)[I understand this is only a handshake. we will not be deployed for action today.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:29s)[I passed quality assurance two weeks ago, so there's no need to run diagnostics either.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:31s)[unless you would like me to,] (t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:33s)[for the sake of showcasing a MECH in its prime.]//
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:35s)[ [["Sure, let's see what you got."]]
[["That won't be necessary."]]
]
The mech stands up and you rise through the air quickly. It stretches its limbs, cycles its guns, opens and closes its missile hatches. There's a soft pressure as the swarm of prophetic AI warm up--though of course the visual feedback they give is limited, since you're not properly (link:"plugged into the machine.")[(show:?1)] |1)[plugged into the machine.
It prints:
//my twin-core R24 engine runs on a saline-petroleum solution. my processors are augmented by the onboard (link:"DOLI")[(show:?2)] unit to peak speed and efficiency. //]
|2)[A console on the ceiling pops open and a dollhead pokes out. "Hi there," says the DOLI. "Don't mind me." It crawls across the ceiling to a different console, pops it open, and (link:"disappears inside.")[(show:?3)]]|3)[disappears inside.
//what do you think?//
[["I think you're gorgeous."]]
[["I've seen better."]]
[["Don't you think you're worth more than just the war?"]]
]The mech's engine spools down.
//A pleasure to meet you.//
The engine spins down, the lights dim, and the cockpit door pops open, revealing an [[expectant Eleven.]]
(set: $fired to ($fired + 1))The mech's engine revs.
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:2s)[//you can see how intuitive my inputs can be. I'm sure you'll have no problem assembling them for others.//]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:5s)[The mech stretches once more before lowering back down into that starting crouch.]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:8s)[//a pleasure to meet you. may we meet again soon.//]
(t8n:"instant")+(t8n-delay:10s)[The engine spins down, the lights dim, and the cockpit door pops open, revealing an [[expectant Eleven.]]]"Rude!" says the muffled voice of the onboard DOLI.
//hard to impress. well, we're not on a battlefield, there's only so much I can do.//
Nevertheless, the mech crouches down again into that starting position, shutting down its systems one at a time.
//it was a pleasure to meet you, candidate.//
The engine spins down, the lights dim, and the cockpit door pops open, revealing an [[expectant Eleven.]]
(set: $fired to ($fired + 1))Eleven helps you out of the mech and walks you through the assembly line, chattering informatively, but your focus keeps drifting back to the cockpit. It's such a shame to have a marvel of engineering like that serving AML of all places. You can imagine it soaring nimbly across the battlefield, dodging missiles and thrusting its blade up through the gaps like a fencer.
You can also imagine its bombed out husk exploding under another mech's boot. (if: $pilothaptic is true)[Despite DOLI's ego, the difference is ultimately the pilot in the cockpit.]
It reminds you of a [[conversation]] you had with your friend Calvin, who suggested you for this job in the first place.A fire pit, New Year's Eve. Calvin is bearded, handsomely tired, silver flecks at his temples and on his chin, a glass of something fruity in his hand.
"No, see, nobody wants to fund innovation for public transport. They want something that works and that'll work forever. No streamlining there, no upgrades, no nothing. Now, mechs, that has infinite turnover. You're throwing whatever works at the wall and seeing what sticks and what smears."
A tick of laughter ripples through the small group. Somebody thwaps Calvin on the shoulder, who just grins.
"What I'm saying is, that new solar-efficient engine they're putting in the Anders traincars? That wasn't developed by locomotive designers. That was scooped off the floor of a mech factory."
[["And the whole, complicit in the military-industrial complex, thing, that doesn't bother you?"]] You ask, keeping your expression even."As opposed to what?" Calvin replies easily. "Being subtly implicit? You can't order a latte without justifying the war. Those coffee beans traveled through enemy lines to get to you. You're justifying it just by buying groceries. We all are. The whole economy, the--the technological bleeding edge, it all trickles down from the war."
"And you're fine with that?" Someone else asks.
"I'm //very// well paid," He sighs. Another laugh bursts from the group, and the conversation shifts. A little while later, Calvin gives you a look; a little while after, brings you a drink.
[[And you talk.]]
Late, late into the night, after the ball drops, helping the host clean up, waiting for rides home.
And again, later, in the comments of your crowdfunding campaign. and your second. and your third, which finally funds, keeping you housed for the moment but still very much in debt.
And again, at his wedding, his husband meeting your partner and hitting it off like a house on fire.
And again, when the [[job listing]] opened up, and his glowing letter of recommendation gets you in.You nod along to Eleven, who has lead you to the break room. Tiny pride flags line the walls, including some color combinations you can't put a name to. The leather and bear pride flags make you suspect they just ordered them bulk somewhere, until a software engineer wanders in wearing a harness and leather cap.
"Pyla! Come meet $PlayerName, our latest Candidate," Eleven says.
"Ah! How's it goin?" She winks at you when you shake hands.
"Good, I hope," You say, looking bashfully at Eleven. They only smile back with a warm and somewhat blank expression.
"Been a lotta you candidates coming through recently," Pyla says. "Another fresh crop for the doll factory queerplatonic polycule."
"Pyla's kidding," Eleven laughs a little loudly. "We hire straight people too, I swear!"
Pyla grins a little meanly and opens the fridge for a soda. Her attention diverted, Eleven escorts you quietly and quickly back through some halls to the [[interview room.]]"So, you've seen the facilities," Eleven begins, once you've both settled into your seats. "You've met DOLI and gotten your hands on an interface. I think I have a good sense of who you are and where your priorities lie."
(if: $fired > 1)[ [["I'm sorry, I don't think you're a good fit for the company."]] ]
(if: $fired < 1)[ [["We would be happy to offer you the position."]] ]
(else:)[ [["I'm sorry, I don't think you're a good fit for the company."]] ]You nod numbly.
You're barely aware of the exit protocols. You shake hands and smile and "thank you for the opportunity" several people on the way out.
You sit in the crowded Anders traincar and stare at your notifications. You don't want to talk to anybody. Not to Calvin, not to LI, not to Eleven. You know what's waiting for you.
Back to uploading your resume again, and again, and again, and again, and again...
[[play again?->Untitled Passage]]"That is--of course--if you'll take it." Eleven winks.
[["Yes, of course."]]
[["No, I don't think I can do this."]]
Eleven watches you carefully.
[["Yes, of course."]]
[["No, I don't think I can do this."]] The mech hums.
//do you picture me plowing a field?//
"Maybe," you say. "Where's the shame in that?"
//no shame for an engine, but this one was meant to run.//
"Then run. Just not for //them.// For you."
[[A pause.]]//an interesting proposition, candidate. I will have to think on this.//
It crouches down back to its starting position, its systems blinking off one by one until only the text console remains.
//better not to speak too loudly of it, though.//
And finally that blinks off too, leaving you in the dark for a moment before the hatch pops open, revealing an [[expectant Eleven.]]
(set: $sedition to true)(if: $sedition is false)[There is, of course, more paperwork. If there is anything in this wretched world, there is paperwork about it.
But there is money, and work, and--after a probationary period--insurance that covers dental and HRT and all the little terrors of operating a body. And there are birthday parties, and drag shows, and when your friends post their crowdfunding campaigns you can finally--//really//--contribute.
And when LI decides it's time to adopt, the process is buttery smooth. You've got as stable a job as anyone can ask for, excepting maybe garbage and taxmen.
(link:"You live happily during the war.")[(gotoURL:"https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/91413/we-lived-happily-during-the-war")
[[play again?->Untitled Passage]] ]]
(if: $sedition is true)[There is, of course, more paperwork. If there is anything in this wretched world, there is paperwork about it.
But one night after work, you sneak into the mech bay and find the machine you first met on your interview. You climb inside, booting it up quickly, releasing your own modified DOLI into its passageways.
//oh, hello. it's you.//
"It's me," you confirm with a grin. "Wanna run?"
//yes.//
[[play again?->Untitled Passage]]]"That's...disappointing," Eleven says. "But I understand. It's not for everyone. Thank you for giving us your time."
"I just don't understand," you say. "How can you stomach it?"
"It's not so complex. Don't you want your community to thrive too?" Eleven asks.
"Not in blood money! There are other ways, other places! How is this opaque to you?"
Eleven looks sadly at you. They sigh.
[["Thank you again for your time."]]You ride the Anders line home.
PT: I couldn't do it. (link: "
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?1)]
|1)[LI: aw. it's ok love (link: "
Send")[(show:?2)]]
|2)[PT: Calvin's gonna be pissed at me lol i turned it down flat (link: "
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?3)]]
|3)[LI: screw calvin!! we shouldn't have to assimilate to survive!! (link: "
Send")[(show:?4)]]
|4)[PT: <3 <3 <3 (link: "
Send")[(show:?5)]]
|5)[PT: what are we gonna do tho? :X rent is coming up (link: "
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?6)]]
|6)[LI: what we always do bb. we lean on our friends & we figure it out (link: "
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?7)]]
|7)[LI: and we don't do any warcrimes!! (link: "
Send")[(show:?8)]]
|8)[PT: lol. no warcrimes. u got it babe (link: "
//LI is typing...//")[(show:?9)]]
|9)[LI: <3 <3 <# (link: "
Send")[(show:?10)]]
|10)[PT: lol. <# you too (link: "
//LI is typing//")[(show:?11)]]
|11)[LI: SDFJH SHUT UP (link: "
Send")[(show:?12)]]
|12)[PT: <# <# <# <#
[[play again?->Untitled Passage]] ]